The Hudson River Mystery

Trixie’s got the shark all figured out, Sergeant.”
    Bunker shook his head. ”That shark!” he said. ”I knew that Thea was using those shark signals, and I figured that that’s what the little lady here had seen. But I just couldn’t stand the thought of her worrying about it being real, so I tried to steer her away from that notion.”
    ”So that’s why you hesitated,” Trixie realized. The Bob-Whites and the police officers were looking more and more confused, but Trixie was determined to get answers to her own questions first. ”Bunker, you said our treasure—were you and Thea partners?”
    Before Bunker had a chance to reply, Honey asked, ”Was Thea really Kathleen, your partner’s ex-wife?”
    ”Eh?” Bunker looked startled. ”The answer to both questions is ’no.’ First of all, Kathleen died last year. Thea never knew Krull, she just read about his treasure-hunting. No, we were never what you’d call partners. I met her in a bait and tackle shop in White Plains. She hired me to pick up the divers and keep quiet about it.”
    Just then, a policewoman approached Sergeant Molinson and whispered in his ear. Both hurried off.
    ”Keep quiet about what?” asked Trixie.
    ”Well, they were diving for Krull’s supposed treasure, of course. I always had my doubts about those rumors about the treasure, but I went along with their plan. Old wrecks make real good fishing spots, you know.”
    ”Thigmostropism,” Mart piped up.
    Bunker looked at him blankly. ”I don’t know anything about thigmos—whatever you said. But I know that underwater junk attracts fish. Plus the bubbles—from the two scuba divers’ air tanks—were good for fishing, too.”
    ”Right,” said Mart. ”That’s what scuba stands for, anyway—self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.”
    Honey spoke for the others. ”Mart, this is no time for showing off! Let Bunker finish!”
    Mart mumbled an apology.
    ”No problem,” said Bunker. ”Anyway, eventually I realized that Thea’s divers were really coming up with gold, and so I demanded a cut of the final haul. After all, Krull had willed everything of his to me. Thea agreed at the time, but I can see now she was planning to double-cross me out of my share all along.” Bunker’s voice held the hurt of a plain and simple man who had been cheated once too often.
    ”Not so fast,” said Sergeant Molinson, coming back to join the group. ”It looks like you’re going to be a very rich man, Mr. Bunker.”
    ”Eh?”
    The burly officer waved toward his car, its red light still flashing. ”That was a call from the station. Several state policemen have picked up a Thea Van Loon and two male companions. They were found driving a stolen car just outside of Poughkeepsie. In the backseat were several sacks of what’s already been identified as Etruscan gold jewelry at least two thousand years old. If Lawrence Krull’s will holds up in court, well, you can take a rest from fishing!”
    In her excitement, Trixie jumped up and down. ”Imagine—all that treasure, practically in our backyard!” she squealed. Then she remembered another backyard—that of the retired couple in Poughkeepsie—and she realized why Thea had been heading for that particular town. Before she could say anything, she noticed the
    look of consternation on Bunker’s face.
    ”But fishing’s my life,” Bunker was saying slowly. ”And that gold’s going to bring a lot of changes. I don’t know how this’ll sound, but I’m pretty well satisfied with my life now....”
    Trixie was hit with a sudden brainstorm. ”Why don’t you donate half of the money you get to the Sleepyside Conservation Committee?” she suggested brashly.
    The others gazed open-mouthed at her boldness, but Bunker looked thoughtful.
    ”That committee you were telling me about?” he asked. ”That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. That way, well, my money would continue to do good for this river long after this particular river-lover is gone. Yes, little lady, I think that’s just what I’m going to do!”
    Brian looked overjoyed. ”The money for the floating lab!” he breathed.
    Trixie clapped her hands. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mart mouthing ”little lady” to himself, a devilish gleam in his eye.
    ”Jeepers, Sergeant,” she said hastily, ”I’ve heard so much about what a busy night Halloween is for you!” She smiled sweetly. ”So why don’t Honey, Bunker, and I come down to the police